Have a job interview coming up? Doing a trial run can give you the preparation you need to nail the real thing.

“As tedious as it may sound to practice for job interviews,” said Pamela Skillings, career coach and co-founder of New York–based Big Interview, an online job interview–training platform, “it can make a dramatic difference, especially for people who don’t have a lot of interview experience or haven’t interviewed for a job in a while. Mock interviews give you the opportunity to think through what questions you’re going to be asked and how to articulate your thoughts.”

Take these steps to run through a practical and worthwhile mock interview.

Find the best sounding board

Who you choose to practice with is an important decision, since you’re looking for an expert’s honest feedback. Ideally, you want to practice with someone who works in your industry and has real-world experience interviewing job candidates, Skillings says.

If you’re a college student or recent graduate, tap into your school’s career services center.

Choose the right setting

It’s good practice to make mock interviews feel as close to the real thing as possible. Choose a professional setting and dress in the attire you’d don for an actual job interview.

Skillings recommends videotaping every mock interview so you can evaluate your body language and track your progress. “You’ll also see a dramatic difference between your first mock interview and your last,” Skillings said.

Practice these frequently asked interview questions

Although there’s no way of knowing exactly what questions you’re going to be asked at a given interview, it’s still beneficial to prepare for common interview questions, said Debra Wheatman, president at career-coaching firm Careers Done Write.

“Tell me about yourself.” This is often the first question interviewers ask, but they don’t want to hear your life story or a summary of what’s on your resume, Wheatman said.

“This question gives you an opportunity to set the tone for the interview, so don’t go through a rote download of your background,” she advises. Your best approach is to explain how your background, knowledge and interests intersect with the job you’re interviewing for.

“What are your strengths and weaknesses?” When it comes time to talk up your skills, focus on traits or accomplishments that align with the requirements of the position. And as for weaknesses, “be honest but follow up with how you’re improving your skills,” Wheatman said. For example, instead of saying, “I’m a terrible public speaker,” you’d say: “I’m not a natural public speaker, but I’m taking a course to improve my performance.”

“What are your career goals?” Frame your answer around what skills you’re looking to develop. For instance, “In five years, I want to have gained solid experience in marketing communications and carved a niche in social media marketing.”

“Why do you want to work at our company?” To ace this question, you have to thoroughly research your prospective employer and explain why you’re the right cultural fit. A good starting point is to read the company’s mission statement to see how your experience and background have prepared you to support the company’s goals.